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Communication  o 
Conf  Pam  #321 

DTTD25fl30- 


MESSAGE  OF  THE  PRESIDENT. 

Richmond,  Ya  ,  Feb.  3,  1865. 

To  the  House  of  Representatives  : 

In  response  to  your  Resolution  of  the  25th  ult.,  1  herewith  trans- 
mit a  communication  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  coverina: 
copies  of  liip  corrc spondence  with  the  Governor  of  North  Carolina 
relative  to  "  coals  of  the  steamer  '  Advance.'  " 

JEFFERSON  DAVIS. 


COMMUNICATION   OF  SECRETARY   OF  THE  NAVY. 

Confederate  SiATsa  op  America,  ) 

JVai'y  Department.  > 

lliclunoiid,  Jan.  31st,  1864.  ) 

To  the  President  :   ^ 

Sir: — In  reeponyc  to  the  follow iiit>'  Resolution  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  viz  : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  President  be  respectfully  recjuestcd  to  trans- 
mit to  this  House  copies  of  the  concspoudence  between  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Navy  and  the  Governor  of  North  Carolina,  touching 
the  seizure  of  the  coals  of  the  steamer  "  Advance"  by  officers  of 
the  Navy  Dedartment,"  referred  by  you  to  this  Department  for  at- 
tention, I  liave  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  copies  of  my  letters 
of  the  28th  of  December  last  and  28th  instant  to  Governor  Vance 
and  his  reply  of  the  3d  instant  to  the  first  named  letter,  with  accom- 
panying papers. 

My  last  communication  to  Governor  Vance  was  delayed  by  the 
causes  therein  stated. 

I  am,  respectfully,  your  obedient  serrant, 

Si  R.  MALLORY, 

Secretary  of  the  Navy. 


LETTER  OF  SECRETARY  OF  TTTF:  NAA'Y. 

^  CoNFiDKlUTK    StATKS    OF    A.MKIIICA,  ) 

.N'avi/  Depar Intent,  \ 

Richmond,  Dec.  28lh,  1801.  ) 

His  Excelloni-.y  Z.  B.  Vancio,  Governor 

of  North  Carolina,  Ralci<,'li  N.  C. 

Sm  : — Conlidont  th;i,t  you  will  ho  pleased  to  coi-rcet  any  error  of 
statement  into  wliiiih  yon  niny  have  hoon  inadvertently  led,  I  hej;^ 
leave  to  invite  yonr  attention  to  the  foilowinii;  extracts  from  your 
recent  mcssaate,  and  to  the  subjoined  copies  of  official  papers  upon 
the  siihjects  to  v»diich  the  extracts  refer: 

"  After  looses  hy  detention,  the  surrender  of  carj^o  space,  ttc, 
of  not  less  than  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  ^old,  I  rejrret, 
also,  to  have  to  annource  the  loss  of  the  steamer  Advance,  duiin.^ 
the  month  of  Septeniher.  This  noble  vessel,  the  pride  of  the  State 
and  benefactor  of  our  soldiers  and  people,  vras  captnred  by  the  ene- 
my, after  she  had  surcepsfuUy  made  her  way  through  the  blockade 
squadron,  in  consequence  of  the  seizure  of  her  coal  for  the  use  of 
the  cruiser  Tallahapsee,  compelling  her  to  put  to  sea  vrith  North 
Carolina  roal.  This  being  unsuited  to  her  furnaces  snd  machinery 
rendered  her  incapable  of  making  more  than  half  her  usual  speed, 
and  left  behind  her  a  dense  volume  of  black  smoke,  by  which  she 
was  followed  and  captured.  So  obviously  is  her  loss  attributal)le 
to  the  unwarranted  seizure  of  her  coal,  that  I  trust  you  will  mem- 
orialize for  compensation.  The  unwise  policy  of  making  our  only 
remaining  sea-port  a  resort  for  our  cruizers,  cannot  be  too  strongly 
condemned.  It  has  doubled  the  stringencj'  of  the  blockade,  has 
already  caused  ihe  loss  of  many  valuable  steamers,  and  will  ulti- 
mately p'ovoke  the  utmost  efforts  of  the  enemy  to  capture  Wilming- 
ton, 't  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  the  Advance  alone,  in  solid 
benefits,  has  been  worth  more  to  our  government  than  all  the  crui- 
zers we  have  ever  had  afloat.  Why  it  should  be  the  policy  of  our 
governmeat  to  compel  the  State  to  quit  the  importati^^n  of  supplies 
for  the  common  benefit,  and  then  pursue  a  course  with  our  armed 
vessels,  so  well  calculated  to  crush  ail  importations  whatever,  is  to 
me  inexplicably  strange." 

Captain  Pinkney,  C.  S.  N  ,  in  command  of  Naval  forces  at  Wil- 
mington, and  under  whose  directions  coals  were  obtained  for  the 
Tallahassee  and  Chickamauga,  forwards  the  following  report  on  the 
subject: 

Flag  Officer  R.  F.  Pinkney,  Commandiag,  &c.  &c., 

"  Sir: — In  reply  to  your  verbal  enquiry  in  reference  to  the  im- 
pressment of  coal  on  this  station,  for  the  use  of  C.  S  cruizers  that 
have  recently  sailed  from  this  port,  I  have  the  honor  to  state  that 
not  one  particle  of  coal  was  taken    from  the  steamer  Advance,  nor 


oue  pound  iaipiLofccU  lu  v\.iicn  the  Slate,  ur  unj  ol  thejujiiL  uiriicio 
of  that  steamer  had  tho  slightest  claim.  When  the  steamers 
Lct-Her-B  and  Floric  were  bein^  lilted  out,  a  portion  of  the  coal 
necessary  for  the  supply  ol  those  steamers  was  taken  from  the  wharf 
of  Messrs  Power,  I^aw  tt  Co.,  I  he  agents  and  part  owners  of  the 
Advance;  but  1  was  distinctly  informed  by  a  member  of  that  firm 
that  this  coal  belonged  to  three  diQcrent  steailiers,  not  then  in  port. 
To  one  of  these  steamers  I  had  lent  about  twenty  tons  of  N.  C. 
coal  to  be  returned  in  English  coal,  and  the  quantity  taken  from  her 
just  salisfied  my  claim.  The  other  two  steamers,  as  1  have  said, 
were  not  then  in  port,  awd  the  coal  that  belonged  to  them  was  lay- 
ing there  waiting  tlieir  return  It  ia  now  alledged  by  the  agents 
of  the  Advajicc  that  us  they  )iad  control  of  this  coal  it  might  have 
been  available  for  the  Advance,  if  the  government  had  not  impress- 
ed it-  This,  liowever,  is  a  mere  probability,  as  other  steamers  be- 
longing to  this  lirm  might,  in  the  moan  time,  have  come  in  short  of 
fuel,  to  which  this  coal  would  have  undoubtedly  have  been  given. 
At  any  rate,  it  did  not  belong  to  the  Advance,  nor  was  it  retained 
for  her  exclusive  use,  and  its  being  apj.«ropriated  to  her  use  depend- 
ed upon  a  mere  contingency — namely,  her  not  being  preceded  into 
port  by  other  vessels  with  an  insufficiency  of  coal  for  their  out 
ward  voyage.  It  will,  then,  be  seen  that  the  extraordinary  state- 
ment ventured  upon  by  Governor  Vance  in  his  late  annual  message, 
that  the  loss  of  the  Advance  is  attributaltle  solely  to  the  impress 
ment  of  coal  by  the  Confederate  States  Government  has  very  little 
foundation  in  fact. 

Very  reppectfully,  your  obedient  servant. 

J.  A.  WILLARD, 

Naval  Coal  Agent. 
Forwarded  by  R  F.  Pinkney,  Capt,  &c." 

You  will  perceive  from  this  report  that  your  statement  as  to  coals 
taken  from  or  belonging  to  the  Advance  was  an  error. 

1  deem  it  proper  to  advert  particularly  to  the  following  paragraphs 
of  your  message  :  "  These  cruizers  sally  forth,  with  coal  seized 
I'rom  steamers  engaged  in  bringing  supplies  of  vital  importance, 
thus  ensuring  their  capture,  destroy  a  few  insigniticant  smacks,  which 
only  serve  to  irritate  the  enemy,  and  then  steam  back  to  Wilming- 
ton to  seize  more  coal,  bringing  down  upon  the  inlets  a  new  swarna 
of  the  enemy's  gunboats." 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  dineuss  questions  of  policy,  but  simply  to 
correct  errors  of  fact,  and  I  deem  it  unnecessary  here  to  express  an 
opinion  upon  tho  views  which  your  letter  presents  relative  to  tho 
use  made  of  the  port  of  Wilmington  by  ( lonfederato  cruizers.  Nor 
in  reference  to  your  remark  as  to  the  "  course  of  tiie  government 
with  our  armed  vessels  so  well  caluhated  to  crush  all  importations 
whatsoever;"  is  it  necessary  to  say  more  than  that  the  number  of 
vessels  engaged  in  the  blockade  trade  of  Wilmington  was  never 
greater  than  at  present. 


It  is  proper  to  apprise  you  that  no  inloriuation  of  the  loss  of  any 
steamer  resulting  from  the  impressment  of  her  coals,  other  than 
that  presented  in  your  message  has  ever  reached  this  Department, 
nor  have  I  any  reason  to  believe  that  any  vessel  was  ever  lost  from 
the  cause  stated  in  the  foregoing  statement.  Under  the  orders  of 
this  Department  but  one  days'  fuel  could  be  taken  from  any  steam- 
er, and  the  North  Carolina  coal  substituted  for  the  quantity  thus 
taken,  could  be  luirned  at  night  without  disadvantage  or  daager 
from  its  smoke. 

To  enable  you  to  correct  so  much  of  your  statements  as  limits  the 
captures  made  by  the  Tallahassee  and  Chickamauga,  from  which 
you  will  perceive  that  those  captures  were  not  only  more  important 
than  is  consistent  with  your  statement,  Init  that  nineteen  out  of  the 
forty-six,  were  square-rigged  vessels. 

1  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

S.  R.  MALLORY, 

Secretary  of  the  Navy. 


LIST  OF  VESSELS  CAPTURED  by  the  Confederate  Slates 
Steamer  Tallahaseee,  under  command  of  Commander  John  Tay- 
lor Wood,  C.  S.  Navy. 


Date  vf  Capture. 

Names  of  Veisel*. 

Tannage. 

Disposition. 

1S64. 

August    11 . 

S.hooiRi-  Sarah  A.  Bayce. 

ysi  so-o,-) 

Scuttled. 

H                     I. 

Tilot  Boat  .Tas.  Kunk, 

l-.'O  91-95 

Burnt. 

•»            1 1 

Hrig  Carrie  Kstell, 

'24S  T5-S5 

'1 

U                    11 

Uarnuc  Uay  .state, 

Itiit  47-9.-) 

1. 

••            it 

Brig  A.  Richards, 

274  30-95 

11 

t(            •' 

Schooner  Carrall, 

Bonded. 

«l             11 

I'ilot  Boat  Wm.  Bell. 

Burnt. 

13 

Schooner  Atlantic, 

V<6  27-95 

<(            I' 

Ship  Ailrlatic, 

989  22-96 

II 

(<            II 

Barque  Snlialc, 

Bonded. 

•I            »• 

Schooner  Spolsane, 

126  3-9.-. 

Burnt. 

11            11 

Brig  Billow, 

173  :Jl-95 

Scutlleil. 

11            11 

ScUooner  R«bt.  E.  Packer, 

222 

Bonded. 

"             1:5 

Barque  Olenaron, 

7S9  3-05 

Scuttled. 

11             li 

Schooner  Lammot  Dupont, 

194  U9.-. 

Burnt. 

"            14 

Ship  .las.  I.ittlefleld, 

M7 

Scuttled. 

15 

Schooner  Mary  A.  Hawes, 

«1 

it            11 

"        Howard, 

147  (59-95 

11 

i(            11 

'•         Floral  wreath. 

5-i  11-95 

11 

Ci                   11 

"        Sarah  B.  llarrig. 

B  .nded. 

({                  u 

"        Restless, 

49  45-95 

ScutUid. 

11           II 

Etta  Caroline, 

."59  23-95 

'<         Iti 

Barque  1*.  C.  Alexander, 

2S.". 

Burut. 

(1            «l 

Schooner  Leopard, 

73  93-9.5 

1(             II 

rcarl. 

41  fi(;-95 

11 

11           II 

"        Sarah  Louisa. 

81  &.9S 

11                     •! 

•'         Magnolia, 

35  23-95 

It 

17 

"         North  America, 

S2  47-95 

Scutlled. 

11            tl 

Brig  Neva, 

28« 

Bonded. 

il                   CI 

Schooner  Aehon, 

1-23 

1        Burnt. 

II                    11 

"        Diadem, 

Released- 

li                   11 

"        U.  Ellis, 

1            11 

•«            2(1 

Brig  Roan, 

127  47-05 

1         Burnt. 

1 

KECAPITULATION. 

Burnt, 16 

Scuttled, 10 

Bonded, 5 

Released,.     2 

33 


LIST  OF  VESSELS  CAPTURED  by  Confederate  States  steamer 
Olustu,  (Tallahasee)  Lieut-  commanding  W.  H.  Ward. 


Date. 

Name. 

Tonnage. 

Disposition. 

Barque  Empress  Theresa, 
Schooner  A.J.  Bird, 

"        E.  F.  Lewis, 

"        Napor, 
Biig  L.  D.  Wagner, 
Ship  Arcole. 

183 
119 

mo 

G63 

Burnt. 
Scuttled. 

u 

LIST  OF    VESSELS   CAPTURED    by    the   Confederate   States 
Steamer  Chickamauga,  under  command  of  Lieut.  John  Wilkinson, 

C.  S.  Navy. 


Dale  of  e.ipture. 

Name  of  Vessels. 

Tonnage. 

.•«9 

2.'!7 

ill 
;!3j 

Disposition. 

ISM. 
October  oil. 

"       ;ti 

"       ;:i 

Nov.         1 

I 

B.arciue  Mark  L.  Pnlter, 

"       Emma  L.  Ilall, 
i^hip  Shooting  Star, 
llarqiie  .iJbloii  Liucoln, 
Schooner  (io(l3|ieeil, 
•'         Otter  Iljcfc, 
Barque  Spe«<l«'ell. 

IJurnt. 

Honiled. 
Scuttleil. 

Bonded. 

LETTER  OF  GtWERNOR  VANCE. 


Statk  of  NoRin  Carolina, 


Execulive  Dipnrtment.  > 

Kalcigli.Jan.  8.1,  18(55.  ) 

Hon.  S.  R.  Mau.ory,  Secretary  oC  tl!e  Navy,  Rielmioinl,  Va., 

Sjk:— Your  letter  of  the  2S!li  ult..,  with  encluMircs,  relative  to 
tlic  loss  of  the  steaiDCr  Advance,  has  hren  receive). 
,  You  do  me  no  more  than  justice  in  expiesffinjr  your  coiifid<Mice  in 
my  willingneF.s  to  "  correct  any  errcr  o(  statement  into  which  you 
(I)  may  have  been  inadvertemly  led."  It  would  allVrd  mo -rreat 
pleasure  to  correct  the  supposed  erroneou.s  statement  contained  in 
my  recent  mepsairo,  attrihutirg  the  lo.-s  of  the  steamer  Advance  to 
the  appropriation  of  her  coals  for  the  steamers  of  the  jrovernment, 
were  1  conscious  vS  any  error.  Kvec  from  tiic  proofs  submitted  by 
Captain  Pinkney's  letter,  sn  ex') act  from  which  yon  enclose,  were 
I  to  retract  my  statement,  I  fancy  I  should  be  deliberately  commit- 
ting a  greater  error  than  the  one  which  you  were  kind  enough  to 
attribute  to  inadvertence. 

1  made  the  statement  of  whic^.  you  (omjiloin  deliberately.  ar;d 
upon  authority  which  I  n  gard  as  reliable,  and  ihitik  I  have  bcea 
sustained  by  the  facts.  Power,  Law  k  Co.,  were  the  part  owners 
and  agents  of  the  vessel ;  it  was  their  duty  to  accumulate  coal  for 
the  use  of  our  vessels  by  taking  small  quantities  from  each  one 
which  had  a  surplus  for  supplying  those  which  were  short.  To  this 
to  common  heap  the  Advance  contributed  as  otheis  and  wlien  she  ctnne 
sail  this  i  eapdeetined  as  well  for  her  as  the  other  vessoLsof  the  line, 
had  been  tab^n  by  the  Navy  Department  and  she  had  to  go  with 
iNorth  Carolina  coal.  The  enclosed  certificates  of  Olviellv  and 
Earris  will  show  how  much  was  taken,  whom  from,  and  that  it  was 
actually  applied  to  the  use  of  the  Tallaha.ssee,  hs  I  charge  The  argu- 
mert  ol  Captain  Pinkney  to  show  that  the  Advance  might  not 
have  got  he  coals  and  therefore  could  have  no  interest  in  a  thing 
she  mi^ht  fail  to  get,  is  a  subterfuge  more  be  comino;  a  lawjer  than 
a  gallant  high  minded  sailor,  as  is  his  rcjiutation.  The  coals  were 
reserved  for  her  or  any  other  ve.-5-3el  of  the  firm  that  raight^come  in 
short  of  enough  to  return  with;  they  were  taken  by  the  Navy  De- 
)artmcnt;  the  Advance  failed  to  get,  iherefore,  what  she  was  enti- 
tled to  by  the  aciion  of  the  Confederate  authorities,  and  hence  her 
capture.  I  am  willing  that  the  public  should  judge  of  the  error  from 
these  statements. 

1  beg  leave  further  to  call  jour  attention  to  the  certificate  of  Mr. 
Savage,  collector  at  Wilmington,  showing  that  there  was  no  gold 
lon  the  Advance  when  she  \»a"s  captured.  I  do  this  because  of  the 
appeal ance  of  an  article  in  the  Richmond  Sentinel  said  to  have 
been  written  under  the  auspices  of  the  Navy  Department,  in  which 


8 

it  WAS  allocked  Miat  tlierc  was  a  laroje  amount  of  gold  on  this 
vcsrsel,  the  non  appearance  of  wliicli  was  supposed  to  account  in  part 
for  lier  capture.  From  this,  it  will  be  seen,  that  in  order  to  convict 
me  of  '  venturing  upon  an  extraordinary  statement,"  some  parties 
connected  with  the  Navy  Department,  have  ventured  upon  a  rather 
ordinary  one. 

Like  you,  sir,  I  do  not  desire  to  d'scuss  the  policy  of  the  govern- 
ment in  regard  to  our  armed  criuzers  and  blockade-runniug  gen- 
erally. If  I  did,  I  miglit  well  cite  the  recent  formidable  attack  up- 
on Wilmington,  from  whicli  alone  we  were  delivered,  by  the  Provi- 
dence of  God,  8s  a  full  confirmation  of  my  opinions.  And  I  might 
well  ask  if  one  of  the  three  vessels  which  lately  entered  that  port 
laden  with  bacon  was  not  of  greater  benefit  to  the  Confederacy, 
even  though  it  was  the  enterpiise  of  "  gamblers,"  thnn  the  destruc- 
tion of  dII  the  enemy's  vessek'  at  sea,  mentioned  in  the  list  you  en- 
close 

'^'^y  opposition  to  the  policy  cf  the  government  is  not  based  upon 
any  tiling  factious  or  any  regard  for  the  interest  of  men  who  have 
been  making  fortunes  by  running  the  l)lockade,  whether  native  or 
foreign.  T  never  made  objection  to  their  being  placed  under  such 
restrictions  as  the  government  tliought  proper,  but  why  a  State, 
struggling  for  the  common  good,  to  clothe  and  provide  for  its  troops 
in  the  public  service,  shoubi  meet  with  i  o  inorc  favor  than  a  Idock- 
ade  gambler,  passes  my  compi-ehensiou. 

Very  re»pectfnl!y,  3  our  obedit^nt  soi-vOJif 

(Signed)     '  Z.  R    VANCE, 

Wilmington,  N.  C.  Dec.  G,  1864. 

1,  J.  T.  O'Keilly,  liaving  charge  of  Messrs.  Tower,  Law  Sr,  Co's. 
wharf  and  warehouse,  do  certify  that  on  the  9th  of  July  last,  the 
Navy  Department  took  from  said  wharf  1170  barrows  of  Welsh  coal 
being  by  weights  179  ~  tons,  which  were  placed  on  board  steam, 
ship  "Let-Her-B,"  said  ship  having  hauled  to  the  wharf  for  that 
purpose. 

I  further  certify  that  no  coals  have  ever  been  returned  in  place 
of  those  taken,  as  above  described,  by  said  or  any  other  Depart- 
ment of  the  Confederate  States. 

(Signed)  J.  T.  O'KEILLY. 

Wilmington,  N.  C,  Dec.  6, 1864. 

I  certify  that  oa  the  afternoon  of  28th  or  29th  ult.,  1  was  pre- 
sent at  a  conversation  between  Mr.  J.  A.  Willard,  Navy  agent,  and 
Eli  Murray,  Esq.,  Agent  of  Slate  of  North  Carolina,  at  this 
place.  I  asked  Mr.  Willard  the  question  what  became  of  the 
coal  taken  from  Messrs.  Power,  Law  &  Co.,  and  others  which  he  ai- 
ledged  had  been  placed  on  board  the  steamers  "Florie"  and  "Let-Her- 
B,"  after  the  expedition  upon  which  these   vessels  were   destined 


0 

had  bpen  abandoned,  he  replied,  "what  had  not  been  consumed  in 
goinoj  up  and  down  the  river,  had  been  transferred  to  ihe  steamer 
'Tallahassee."  ' 

(Signed)  GEO.  HARRIS. 

Confederate  States  Depository, 

Wilmington.  X.  C,  Dec.  G,  18G4. 

E.  MuRUAY.  Esq..  Wilmington,  N.  C. 

Sir: — Your  letter  of  this  date,  stating  that  a  rumor  exists  that 
tlie  "  Advance  "  was  captured,  hod  on  freight  a  large  amount  of 
specie,  and  asking  if  lean  give  any  light  m  the  subject,  is  to  hand. 
In  reply  i  beg  to  state  that  I  do  not  know  that  the  "  Advance'' 
had  any  specie  or  freight  when  she  was  captured.  I  did  not  ship 
any  on  her  that  trip. 

Verv  respectfuUv. 
(Signed)  '  HEXRY  SAYaGE. 

Depositary  C.  S. 


LETTER    OF  SECRETARY  OF   THE   NAVY. 

Confederate  States  of  America,  ) 
JWtvy   Department,  > 

Richmond,  Va.,  .Ian.  28,  18G5.      ) 
His  Excelkncy  Z.  B.  Vance.  Governor 

of  North  Carolina,  Raleigh,  N.  C, 

Sir  : — I  regret  that  the  pressure  of  public  business  and  my  serious 
indi.'^position  have  delayed  a  response  to  your  letter  of  the  3d  inst. 

The  distinct  question  at  is.^ue  between  us  was  raised  by  the  state- 
ment of  your  message  in  reference  to  the  Advance,  *'  that  the  seiz- 
ure of  her  foreign  coals  for  the  Tallahassee,  compelling  her  to  put 
to  sea  with  Xorth  Carolina  coals,"  was  the  cause  of  her  loss. 

This  question  I  distinctly  met  in  my  previous  communication  and 
1  desire  to  adhere  to  it.  You  will  pardon  me,  t'^erefore,  for  decli- 
ning the  discussion  upon  other  points  which  you  raise  as  to  whether 
the  Advance  bad  gold  on  freight,  &c.,  and  which  are  unnecessary 
to  the  determination  of  the  single  question  of  fact. 

In  reference  to  your  allusions  1o  an  anonymous  article  published 
in  the  Sentinel  "  said  to  have  been  written  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Navy  Department,'' and  to  your  statement  that  "  from  this  it  will 
seem  that  in  order  to  convict  me  «you)  of  venturing  upon  an  ex- 
traordinary statement,  some  parties  connected  with  the  X'avy  De- 
partment have  ventured  upon  a  rather  ordinary  one,'  it  is  only  ne- 
cessary to  say  that  they  are  not  only  irrelevant  but  erroneous  and  that 
the  article  in  question  was  neither  written  under  the  auspices  nor 
with  the  knowledge  of  this  Department. 


10 

Tlie  policy  of  tlic  government  in  regard  to  its  cruizers  and  the 
commerce  of  Wilmington,  the  influence  of  this  policy  upon  tlie  en- 
emv  to  attack  Fort  Fisher,  and  the  comparative  value  of  a  single 
carffo  of  bacon  and  a  certain  nun^ber  of  the  enemy's  ships  destroy- 
ed at  sea,  all  touched  upon  in  your  letter,  invite  discui^sion.  but  as 
their  investigation  would  thr-  w  no  light  whatever  upon  the  ques- 
tions of  fact  at  is?ue  I  refr:iin  from  further  reference  to  them. 

Your  statement  was  :  "  1  his  noble  vessel,  the  pride  of  the  State 
and  benefactor  of  our  soldiers  and  people,  was  captured  by  the  ene- 
m}  after  she  had  successfully  made  her  vaj  through  the  blockading 
squadron,  in  consequence  of  the  seizure  of  her  foreign  coals  for  the 
use  of  the  cruizer  Tallahassee,  compelling  her  to  proceed  to  sea 
with  North  Carolina  coal." 

The  obvious  inference  from  this  lang-uage  is,  that  not  only  were 
coals  taken  from  the  Advance  for  the  'iallahassee,  but  that  they 
were  so  taken  when  the  Advance  was  about  to  "  put  to  sea,"  com- 
pelling her  to  proceed  to  sea  with  North  Carolina  coal;  and  it  was 
to  correct  a  statement  which  I  supposed  had  been  entered  upon  un- 
advisedly that  I  furnished  you  with  the  formal  report  of  the  Coal 
Agent  of  this  department  at  Vv  ilmington  niade  to  Capt.  Pinkney, 
the  chief  Naval  officer  in  command  there,  that  not  only  had  no  coal 
been  taken  from  the  Advance  for  the  Tallahassee,  but  that  when 
coals  were  taken  for  the  Florie  and  Let-Her-B,  a  portion  of  which 
as  alleged  by  Mr.  Harris,  was  subsequently  transferred  to  the  Tal- 
lahassee, and  to  which  coals  your  statement  refers,  the  Advance  was 
not  in  the  port  of  Wilraingten.  The  coal  agent  says,  "  that  not  one 
particle  of  coal  was  taken  from  the  steamer  Advance  nor  one  pound 
impressed  to  which  the  State,  or  any  of  the  joint  owners  of  that 
steamer,  had  the  slightest  claim. 

Subsequent  to  the  date  of  my  former  communication,  the  follow- 
ing dispatch  was  received  from  Capt.  Pinkney  : 

"  Wilmington,  Dec.  29,  1864. 

Hon.  S.  K.  Mallory  : 

No  coal  was  taken  from  the  Advance,  nor  any  belonging  to  her 
for  the  Tallahassee  or  any  other  vessel.  I  sent  a  report  to  this 
effect  from  the  coal  agent  some  time  ago. 

(Signed)  •  R.  F.  PINKNEY, 

Commanding,  <fcc.  <S:c." 

I  regarded  this  report  as  conclusive  and  doub*ted  not  that  you 
would  so  regard  it,  for  I  could  not  have  supposed  ihat  these  agents 
could  have' seized  the  coals  of  the  Advance  and  compelled  her  io 
••put  to  sea  with  North  Carolina  coal,"  without  being  aware  of  the 
fact.  Your  letter  of  the  3d,  however,  not  only  reiterates  the  mes- 
sage, but  it  presents  the  following  certificate  in  support  of  it. 


11 

Wilmington,  N.  C.  Dec.  6,  1864. 

I,  J.  T.  O'Keilly,  having  charge  of  Messrs.  Power,  Low  ct  Go's, 
wharf  and  warf-house,  do  certify  that  on  the  9th  of  July  last,  the 
Navy  Department  took  from  said  wharf  1170  barrowjiof  Welsh  coal 
being  Ity  weights  179  ^^^  tons,  which  were  placed  on  board  steam- 
ship "  Let-Her-B,''  said  ship  having  hauled  to  the  wharf  for  that 
purpose. 

I  further  certify  that  no  coals  have  ever  been  returned  in  ])lace 
of  those  taken,  as  a)»ove  described,  by  said  or  any  other  Depart- 
ment of  the  Confederate  States. 

(Signed)  J.  T.  O'KEILLY. 

This  certificate,  tliat  in  July  last  coals  were  taken  by  the  Navy 
Department  from  the  wharf  of  Messrs.  Power,  Low  &  Co.,  for  the 
steamer  Let  Her-B,  is  produced  in  proof  of  the  statement  that  the 
loss  of  the  Advance  was  in  consequence  of  the  seizure  of  foreign 
coal  for  the  cruizer  Tallahassee,  compelb'ng  her  to  put  to  sea.  etc. 

The  following  is  tlie  second  certificate. 

Wilmington,  X.  C,  Dec.  6.  lSr.4. 

I  certify  that  oa  the  afternoon  of  28th  or  29th  ult..  1  was  pre- 
sent at  a  conversation  between  Mr.  J.  A.  Willard,  Xavy  agpnt,  and 
Eli  Murray,  Esq.,  Agent  of  State  of  Xorth  Carolina,  at  this 
place.  I  asked  Mr.  Willard  the  question  what  becjme  of  the 
coal  taken  from  Messrs.  Power.  Low  &  Co.,  and  others  which  he  al- 
ledged  had  been  placed  on  board  the  steamers  "Florie"  an  1  "Let-Her- 
B,"  after  the  expedition  upon  which  these  vessels  were  de.-tined 
had  been  abandoned,  he  replied,  "what  had  not  been  consumed  in 
going  up  and  down  the  river  had  been  transferred  to  the  >teanier 
Tallahassee." 

(Signed)  GEO.  HARRIS. 

This  certificate  shows  that  Mr.  Willard,  the  Naval  Coal  Agent, 
stated  that  the  coal  taken  in  July  last  from  Power.  Low  <fc  Co.,  and 
referred  to  by  Mr.  O'Keilly,  were  used  for  .the  steamers  Florie  and 
Let-Her-D,  and  that  after  the  abandonment  of  the  expedition  for 
which  they  were  designed,  what  had  not  been  consumed  in  going  up 
and  down  the  river  had  been  transferred  to  the  Tallahassee. 

In  addition  to  the  evidence  of  these  certificates  in  support  of  the 
statement  made,  you  inform  me  that  Power,  Low  &  Co.  were  part 
owners  and  agents  of  the  vessel.  It  was  their  duty  to  accumulate 
coal  for  the  use  of  our  vessels  by  taking  small  quantities  from  each  ' 
one  which  had  a  surplus  for  supplying:  those  which  were  short.  To 
this  common  heap  the  Advarce  contiibuted  as  others,  and  when  she 
came  to  sail,  this  heap,  destined  as  well  for  her  and  the  others  of 
the  line,  had  been  taken  by  the  Navy  Department,  <fcc. 

Thus  it  appears  that  the  Navy  Department  neither  took  coal  from 


12 

the  Advance,  nor  any  coal  belonging  to  her  or  designed  for  her  ex- 
clusive use  :  but  that  the  coal  which  it  took  from  Power,  Low  <fe  Co. 
for  the  Let-iSerB  in  July  last,  might  possibly  have  been  used  for 
the  Advance  in  the  following  September,  if  other  vessels  equally 
entitled  to  it  had  not,  in  the  meantime,  consumed  it. 

With  all  respect  for  your  own  convictions  upon  the  subject,  I 
am  unable  to  perceive  that  the  charge  advanced  in  your  message  is 
sustained  by  the  certificates  or  by  the  foregoing  explanations  now 
presented. 

In  my  previous  communication  I  adverted  to  t  hat  statement  in 
your  message  in  which  the  captures  made  by  our  cruizors  outof 
Wilmington^  were  characterized  as  "a  few  insignificant  smacks ;" 
and  presuming  that  so  strange  an  error  of  fact,  and  one  so  unjust 
to  the  officers  and  men  of  these  cruizers,  could  only  have  found  a 
place  in  your  message  from  want  of  information  upon  the  subject, 
and  that  its  correction  would  promptly  follow  a  presentation  of  the 
facts,  I  invited  your  attention  to  it  and  submitted  a  schedule  of  the 
captures  in  question,  numbering  forty-six,  (46)  and  embracing  nine- 
teen (1 9)  square  rigged  vessels.  1  regret  that  while  your  derisive 
reference  to  a  few  insignificant  smacks  is  being  circulated  through- 
out the  country,  its  correction,  with  the  facts  before  you,  has  es- 
caped your  attention. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  great  respect. 

Your  obedient  servant. 
(Signed)  S.  R.  MALLORY, 

Secretary  of  the  Navy. 


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